District



lC. A. SNOW, 1R.

AEROPLANE CONTROL.

APPL1cAT10N 11.20 ocr. 13. 1921.

m1011161 June 13, 192.14

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

wif/yf, 157ml@z c. A. SNOW, JR.

AEROPLANE CONTROL.

APPLICATION FlLE OCT. 13. 192i..

Patented June 13, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mnu/Hoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEe AEROIPLANT. CONTROL.

iniciara.

Application filed October 13, 1921.

To all ifi/1,0m t may concern:

Be it known that l, Cnns'rnn A. SNow, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at lllashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful i-'ieroplane Control, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an aeroplane control designer primaril y for use in facilitating the landing of an aeroplane so to retard vthe speed of the machine as it approaches -fthe landing point without disturbing its longitudinal stability.

AA further object is to combine with the retarding means a means for ancl'ioring the machine during the starting of the motor and until the pilot is ready to take off.

lt is a fact well known to those skilled in the art that practically 809'@ of all aeroplane accidents are strictly landing accidents. When a pilot undertakes to effect a landing he must first maneuver for position, with regard to the lay of the land and direction of the wind, and then come down in a glide sufficiently steep to insure against loss of flying speed to keep the machine from stalling. The pilot7 when safely above the edge of the field and only a few feet from the ground flattens out or gradually comes out of the glide and, by lifting the nose of the machiner` assumes a line of flight approximately parallel to the grouiid. rllhe pilot then coasts along just a few inches oft' the ground7 bringing the nose of the machine higher and the tail lower to accurately counteract the tendency of the machine to settle to the ground, and as Athe machine loses more and more of its flying speed and as the nose points farther into the air the crucial movement in the landing operation comes nearer. Under some conditions a landing can be effected with comparative ease and safety but in many cases machine is compelled to land in a cross wind which causes the machine to drift sideways with the result that a vwheel is torn olf or the landing chassis is buckled and the machine caused to turn over. At other times the machine is compelled to contact with a bump or ridge or other obstruction causing it to bounce or jump into the air and unless the control is sl illfully maintained the machine, having lost its flying speed, will fall sideways and be injured as hereinbefore described.

lt is an object of the present invention to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 13, 1922.

sei-iai No. somos.

provide the machine with a supplemental plane located below and in advance of the center of gravity of the machine, this supplemental plane being adjustable angularly without disturbing the longitudinal stability of the machine, to retard the speed of the machine and thus greatly reduce the probability of accidents occurring while effecting a landing.

Another obj ect is to provide a plane useful as a supplemental lifting plane for changing altitude, and as a means for regulating the speed of the machine while in flight for the purpose of taking photographs, dropping bombs on selected tarets, and maintaining position in squadron formations where there are differences in types of machines, their speeds, their plane alignnn-ruts, and the loads carried thereby. l

r'inother disadvantage present in aeroplane structures is the difficulty experienced in holding them properly anchored after the engines have been started and before the pilots have assumed their positions at the controls,

Heretofore when alone in open country it has often been necessary for the pilot to place a chock in'the forni of a stone, a small log or the like in front of each wheel of the runniiig gear and to then start the engine. Thereafter it has been necessary to crawl up to the checks and dangerously near the rotating propeller to remove the chocks to free the machine for forward movement` is an object of the present invention 'to combine anchoring means with the supplemental plane herein described so that the pilot, by shifting 'the plane to a negative angle of incidence can bring the anchoring means into contact with the surface of the ground and from which position said anchory ing means can be removed at will by the pilot without leaving his s eat.

Another object is to have the supplemental plane so located that the blast from lthe rotating priipeller will .maintain the anchoring means in operative relation with the ground in spite of the lifting` action exerted to a limited extent by the air blast against the main or sustaining plane of the machine while said machine is anchored.

A further obiect to provide a supplemental plane winch can be utilized to prevent the machine from turning over if forced down on the surface of a body of water.

action will be counter-acted the lift which willbe exertedv at a point in advance of the'centerot gravity. rilhus with increased lift combined with' increased resistance to forward motion, a siower and sa'ter landing may be made than hasv heretofore been possible; j

then a forced landing on water is unavoidable, by giving the plane 9 a high angle ot incidence it will act as a hydroplane step, causing the machine to glide along the surface of the water at [irst instead ot digging in and possibly violently overturning the machine on first contact with the water.

During the landing of the machine the skids 16 can be brought into play so as to contact with the surtace ot the ground. In the drawings these skids have been shown as separate parts below the rear portion ot the plane 9 but I do not wish to restrict myself to this arrangement because it desired the trailing edge portion ot the plane could itseltbe so designed as to constitute a slrid.

I'Vhen it is desired to start the motor the plane is adjusted to a negative angle of `incidence as shown in Figures S and 4f and locked with the ends oi the spurs 15 in contact with the ground. At this time those portions ot the tires on the wheels 7 contacting with the ground are flattened more or less because of the weight of the machine supported by the tires. Therefore. when the propeller is set in motion the blast of air created will act on the main wings or planes to exert. a lifting action suiiicient to relieve the tires ot considerable weight and, consequently, under normal conditions the spurs would be lifted out ot contact with the ground a greater' or less distance, de* pending upon the torce exerted and the amount of distortion or compression ot the tires. In the present instance. however, the same air blast will be directed against the plane 9 so as to torce it downwardly and maintain the tires under compression. As the cushioning means 8 have been relieved to a certain extent by the hitting action exerted against the wings or planes 2, the resultant loss of weight upon the axle will be partly compensated for by the downward movement of the plane 9 under the action of the air blast, thus maintaining the compression ot the tires. Consequently the spurs will be maintained in close proximity to the surface ot the ground so that during the Ylfoiavard movement ot the machine resulting from the thrust ot the propeller the spurs will be caused to dig into the ground and thus hold the machine against further movement in a lforward direction until, by the actuation ot lever ll), the plane 9 is swung to disengage the spurs troni the ground. As the plane 9 is located under the planes 2 it vill ne subjected not only to the torce of the direct blast from the propeller but also to the reaction of air downwardly and rearwardly 'from the planes 2.

lVhile the improvementsherein described are designed primarily tor use on aeroplane structures it is to be understood that many et them can be employed to advantage in connection with airships of the lighter than air type and by the term aeroplane it is net intended to restrict this invention to a machine o'tl any particular type.

I.Vhat is claimed is zl. In an aeroplane a manually, angularly adjustable streamline running gear axle.

2. In an aeroplane an angularly adjustable streamline running gear axle having its axis of rotation substantially fixed relative to the aeroplane structure.

3. In an aeroplane a streamline running gear axle held against bodily movement relative to the aeroplane structure and adjustable angularly While so held.

4. In an aeroplane a lixed running gear and an angularly adjustable streamline axle carried thereby.

5. In an aeroplane a fixed running gear and an angularly adjust-able streamline axle carried thereby below and in advance of the center ot' gravity.

6. The combination with an aeroplane of a streamline running gear axle below an in advance o' the center of gravity of the machine and adjustable angularly, said axle being so located that the line of torce resultant from the drift and lift Will extend under normal operating conditions through or in advance of the center ot gravity, thereby to maintain undisturbed the longitudinal equilibrium of the machine.

7. In an aeroplane structure an angularly adjustable streamline running gear axle below and in advance of the center of gravity, a control lever connected to and extending from said axle, and means for securing the lever and axle in any position to which they may be adjusted angularly.

8. In an aeroplane a running gear having an angularly adjustable streamline axle below and in advance of the center of gravity of the machine, and means for securing said axle in any position to Which it may be adjusted angularly.

9. The combination With an aeroplane structure, oit a supplemental plane below and in advance of the center oit' gravity, anchoring means upon the front portion of said plane, and means for adjusting the plane angularly to any positive angle ot incidence without disturbing the longitudinal equilibrium of the machine While in flight, and tor adjusting said plane to a negative angle oi incidence to position the anchoring means tor engagement with the ground.

l0. In an aeroplane structure a supplemental plane below and in advance of the tiveangley of incidence to bring the skid to landing position'` and to hold the plane so V that the line of force resultant from the drift leo.

andlii't Willat all times extend through or in advance of the center of gravity, said plane being adjustable to a negative angle of inci* dence to position the anchoring means for engagement With the ground.

1l. VIlh'e combination with an aeroplane structure including a running gear haying siipporting Wheels with resilient tires, an axle, and yieldable cushioning means engaging the axle, ot' a `supplemental plane beloW and in advance of the center of gravity of the machine andjadjustable angularly to a negatiye,` angle of incidence thereby to receive the force of the air set up by 'the propeller of the machine, an anchoring means upon theplane for enga-gement with the ground land adapted to be maintainedl in such engagement by the action of the air blast upon thplane.

l2. In an aeroplane the combination with a ruiming' gear including supporting Wheels having yielding tires, an axle, and cushioning means engaging the axle, of a supplemental plane, `anchoring means on the 'front portion thereof, andineans Yfor adjusting said plane singularly tovpositionthe anchoring means in7 engagementI Withthe ground While the wheels.

are supporting the Weight of the machined, said plane being adapted to be pressed downvvvardly by the air blast from the propeller` Y the lifting` action of the air blast upon theA main planes of themachine.

13. In an aeroplane strncture a landing gear including an axle mounted for up and down movement relative to the structure, Wheels on the aXle having. compressiblev tires, an angularly adjustable/plane below and in advanceof the center oi gravity of thelaeroplane structure, and ground engaging anchoring means carried thereby, saidplane being adjustable to ja negative angle of incidence Whereby thefblast from the propeller will exert a forward movement to the structure and depress the adj ustableplane to compress the Wheel tires and force the anchoring means into the ground.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

` CHESTER A, SNOW, JR. vlfitnesses: i

HERBERT D. LAWsoN,

IVY E. SIMPSON. i 

